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What Can You Do With a Fine Arts Degree?

One of the questions I get asked the most is what kind of a career can be chosen with a Fine Arts degree. Many young students or freshly graduated artists are confused as to what they should do with their professional lives as being a fine artist is not really a walk in the park. There is so much competition that people need to be very sure of whether they want to be an artist or not before getting into fine arts.

However, there are many different kinds of jobs one can do with a fine arts degree. Some of my recommendations are:

Painter/Sculptor/Printmaker

As difficult as it may seem, being a professional artist is a viable career choice if you’re willing to put the work in. If you love painting, printmaking, sculpture, or any other form of fine arts then you should seriously consider taking it up full time. This will entail working for long hours, going to galleries and showing your work to people hoping to get an exhibition, a lot of networking, and free work in the start. However, once you get in your stride you can really make a strong career in fine arts.

Graphic Designer

If you’ve done a fine arts degree, chances are that you’ve learned graphic design software quite extensively as well, or maybe you’ve taken it as an elective. If yes, then you can very easily start developing your skills as a graphic designer. People also find themselves getting involved with fields like game design after a degree in fine arts.

Photographer

Although not any easier than being a fine artist, being a photographer is also a possible career choice. As an artist, you learn about compositions, colors, balance, harmony, contrast, and other elements of design. These are all applicable to photography as well so if you have an interest in it then you can start practicing photography professionally.

Writer

Being an artist means that you should know how to talk about your work and write about it. Maybe you found yourself loving the writing part a little too much during your studies. If you did, then you can consider becoming a professional writer.

Curator

Fine artists can also become art curators for a gallery. This not only imparts within them new management skills but also gives them the opportunity to network with senior curators, art collectors, and other potential clients. This means that they can also continue creating art alongside their job and hopefully start making money from it.

Teacher

Some people have a knack for teaching. If you’re one of them then you can become a teacher as well. You’ll probably start at a very junior post but will surely climb your way to the top if it is something you like and can see yourself doing for the rest of your life.

So you can see now that there are multiple ways to make a living with a degree in fine arts. You don’t have to stay confined to creating art if you don’t really want to or if you find it to be too difficult. Find out what your true passion is and then just go for it. The most beautiful thing about an art degree is that you find new things about yourself while you’re studying for it. I have seen people studying architecture end up as graphic designers because they found it to be closer to their hearts. So don’t worry if you don’t want to practice art as a profession because there are many things you can do instead.